Police last night apologised for the disruption, but said they were acting on information where there was "real concern for people in distress".

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Police were seen searching lorries on the M6 in a 'major incident' tonightCredit: BPM Media

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The driver of the lorry is also being interviewed by Immigration Enforcement officersCredit: Martin Kavanagh

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Some road users said they'd been delayed for hoursCredit: BPM Media

News of the M6 incident comes after a migrant crisis has caused chaos across both sides of the English channel.

A Staffordshire Police spokesperson said they had received reports of "concerns for people travelling in the back of a vehicle" about 5.45pm last night.

They said: "During the incident, a number of people fled from the lorry but all were detained. Thankfully, there were no serious injuries reported.

"The driver of the vehicle, a 42-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of facilitating the illegal entry of persons unknown to the UK.

"He remains in police custody at Watling Street police station and enquiries are on-going."

Deputy Chief Constable Nick Baker, said: “We recognise the disruption this has caused to road users and we’d like to thank the public for their patience and co-operation. We were acting on information where there was real concern for people in distress and therefore it was necessary for us to take immediate and appropriate action.

“The response to this incident has involved multiple forces, agencies and partners and I’d like to thank those organisations for their help and assistance.”

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Burton Albion fans were stuck in traffic on the way up to ManchesterCredit: BPM Media

One motorist reported seeing 22 police vehicles making their way to the scene.

Highways England first reported the incident was affecting traffic on the Northbound carriageway between junction 15 and junction 16 at around 4pm — with 90 minute delays currently reported on the route.

Witnesses say a large number of emergency vehicles are attending the scene with traffic now stopped in both directions.

One fan said it had taken 90 minutes to get from junction 16 to Keele Services — with some motorists reporting delays of more than two hours.

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